New Day Christian Church - Weston, WI

Do you like your job? Do you respect your boss? How would things be different in your workplace if you worked for your boss as though you were working for the Lord?  Listen in to Sunday's podcast to find out more about "Realigning our relationship with work and rest".  (Message recorded 01-29-2012) Big Idea: Work with enthusiasm as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Key texts: Emphesians 6:5-9 and 1Peter 2:18-20 Discussion questions: 1) What is the best job you've ever had?  What made it not so good? 2) What are some reasons people have for not working with enthusiasm? 3) Why is a properly aligned relationship with God a necessary element of having a properly aligned relationship with work? 4) How will this week's message change the way you balance work and rest?

“I consider myself a Christian, but I can’t stand the institutionalized church.” Tough. No matter how bad it gets screwed up, Jesus handed over responsibility for His mission to people like you and me—broken people. The church is Plan A, and there is no Plan B. So instead of throwing it out, let’s realign it. The plan we see in Scripture is accountable leadership (people submitting to each other) and spirit-led ministry (people submitting to God). Ultimately, life is not governed by rules, but by relationships.  (Message recorded 01-22-12)

God has given men a huge responsibility in guarding family and marriage relationships.  Why is this plan failing, and what can you do about it? (Message recorded January 15, 2012) Key Text: Ephesians 5:33 (NLT) So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Questions for Discussion: Why is “submission” such a loaded word in our culture? How has America’s “Fatherless Generation” affected people around you? Why is it necessary to have our relationship with God properly aligned in order to have healthy marriage and family relationships? What can you do to be part of realigning family and marriage relationships in this community?

Reality is relationships.  To be sure our relationships are properly aligned, you have to first check the alignment of your own relationship with God. (Message recorded January 8, 2012)

Discussion Questions:

Where do you see yourself in the story of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32)?

Are you more likely to treat your Heavenly Father like a pushover (as the younger brother did when he took his inheritance and left), or like a miser (as the older brother did when he complained about never even getting a goat)?  What is the truth about God's character?

What does your life look like when you honor and obey God?

Have you ever felt like God was disciplining and instructing you?  What was that like?

How do you keep your relationship with God a priority?  How would you like to become even more closely aligned with Him in the future?  What is getting in the way of that?

Here is a link to the completed drawing for the message: http://www.newdaychristianchurch.org/newday/images/Drawing-complete.jpg

Listen in as special guest Dan Mandigo shares the secrets to being content.  (Message recorded 01-01-2012)

Part IV of the New Day Christmas Series, A Hollywood Christmas.  (Message recorded 12-18-2011)

Key Text:

James 4:3 (NLT) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

Psalms 37:4 (NLT) Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

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Some of Hollywood's memorable moments become the backdrop for Christmas at New Day. (Message recorded 12-11-2011) Key Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT) Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1)What are you thankful for?

2)How can someone be thankful to God even in the midst of loss or pain?

3)How will you make gratitude a bigger part of your life?  What will that look like this Christmas season?

Some of Hollywood’s memorable moments become New Day’s backdrop for the real substance of Christmas. (Message recorded 12-04-2011)

Key verse: Isaiah 53:6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

What are you most excited about at Christmas time? Why?

In your experience, which is more common: people thinking they are too righteous to need forgiveness, or people thinking they are too far gone to be forgiven?

Christ coming to Earth was a free gift to us, something we cannot earn. Why is it difficult to accept a free gift?

Have you accepted God’s gift of forgiveness?

If so, what led up to that decision? How has your life changed?

If not, what is keeping you from taking that step? What would it take to overcome that challenge?

Some of Hollywood's memorable moments become New Day's backdrop for the real substance of Christmas.  (Message recorded 11-27-2011) Questions for Reflection and Discussion 1.How do people express adoration in the world today (think sports teams, entertainers, etc.)? 2.What are some of the ways you realize you have acted like the star of the show? 3.How might your life change if you spent time every day acknowledging Jesus as the star (“Adoration”)?  What are some ways you could do that? 4.What is your plan for prioritizing prayer in your life?

If it was the end of the world as we know it, would you feel fine? This service concludes a three-part teaching about The End. (Message recorded 11-20-2011)